BulBob

Slip Rigging a Bullet Bobber is the best way to fish. Bullet Bobbers plane to the side and flip direction when you give them a little tug. Use a split shot to set the minimum depth and a bobber stop if you want to limit the maximum depth. When you give it slack it drops and moves sideways and not directly towards you. Great for getting into tight places without worry of snagging on the cast. www.bulletbobber.com

This one is my favorite.

Maybe this one is more to folks liking. No Batteries required.

Paulus, Yes Urethane works too. Put on a couple coats and extra thick around the joint for strength. It would be good to put a dot of different and bright colors on the sides (one on each keel) so you can tell if it flipped instantly. Another thing is make sure the grain runs lengthwise when pasting the pattern on the board. I use a file to make the front more streamlined but it is tricky getting all 4 groves the same and getting a nice 4 fluted arrow head. I will use fine sand paper to break/round all the other edges. Note: There is narrow window in the laws of physics that makes this thing possible at all. I was surprised, stupefied, whatever...when my first one flipped direction with a flick of the wrist. It requires the right weight balance and the hole in the right place and at the right angle. It also requires the right length to width proportions. How I got it right the first time was really dumb luck. I did not expect to flip with just a little tug. I was expecting to need to give it a big tug, if it planed at all, and to have just a 50:50 shot at it going the way I wanted. Just a little tug to start the half roll / half back flip is all it takes and the momentum does the rest. BillM, I know that Steelhead like spawn drifting across the bottom or flies on a natural float with a little twitch here and there. You'll get no argument from me that these methods work and that they are the most common methods. But there is more to directional floats then first meets the eye or I can show in a diagram. Please allow me to explain a little more about using them. I hope you'll find it interesting. If you are having fun fishing and catching fish you don't need any help! I am not knocking the way you fish in any way but I do have more FUN fishing now that I use them and I do catch more fish. I invented them by accident for fishing rivers for Walleye and Smallmouth but being near lake Erie tribs I also fish for Steelhead. OK, Keeping your bait where the fish are isn't possible if your drifting. You need to reel all the way in and cast again and again and again. With directional planer board floats you cast like always, drift thru the spot, then only reel it up to the head of the spot and let it free drift again. You are only casting once and steering your way back up to where you want to begin a drift. It really does reduce the amount of time between possible fruitful drifts. There may also be fish in a drift lane that you can't reach by casting from where you are standing or wading but could reach using a planing float. And for the record I have held position (like a kite holds position) in a hot spot and gently teased a strike by using enough weight, for the current speed, to get down near the bottom. You can pull them out of hiding spots this way. Directional Floats are simply more functional then non-directional floats. You'll be fishing more and casting less. I like to wade moving slowly down stream, free drifting them far down stream at times. I will reel and steer it back up stream off to my left or right and flip the bail to free drift again. Spinners are also good at catching steelhead. I hold position or run them side to side letting the pulsating currents give it the action. Last time out, I almost lost my rod because I was holding the rod lightly to let my spinner serge with the current. If you don't mind Plastic or SPAM or me High-Jacking this thread. BulletBobbers come in clear or green/orange and have a glow stick option for night fishing. These are the smallest they can be made at 2" long. They are heavier then balsa, so for Steelhead I make my own using the template scaled down to 1.5" long and use 3/16" thick stock. Making them smaller means less planing surface but I like small floats for less resistance with finicky Steelhead. If color seems to be a problem by spooking the fish in clear water I'll use the clear ones. Best Fishes, Paul Lieb

You could try making floats you can steer if you like to keep your bait in the water and where you want it wothout recasting. Print this template to scale and past it on 1/4" thick balsawood and cut two pieces at the same time. Drill the hole after iterlocking the pieces together. Use a piece of WD40 spray tube to reinforce the hole. A good coat of water proof paint will hold it togehter and make it stronger. Insert a toothpick to hold it in place on your line or slip rig them for 3D control. Here are things you can do with them. Happy Holidays, These plans ae compliments Paul Lieb of BulletBobber.com

Well it’s cold outside and you need to do something, right, well here is something YOU CAN DO and yell at me later about what a pain it was and how bad my instructions are.... This is our humble gift to all fishermen Build a Fishing Floats or Lure with Directional Control It planes to the side when retrieved or in current and flips direction when given a little tug. Material List: 1. 1 pine or balsa board - 5” long, 1 1/2” wide and 1/4" thick. The wood grain must run the 5” length. 2. Elmer’s glue 3. Gorilla Glue 4. Water resistant paint and/or sealer. 5. Small diameter plastic tube (you can use one from a WD40 can) 6. Round Tooth Picks Tools: 1. Coping or Scroll Saw 2. Electric drill 3. Drill bit that matched the tube. 4. Wood file 5. Sand paper 6. Small paint brush Building Steps: 1. Print and cut out the light blue dotted rectangle after measuring to see if the 2” dimension actually measures 2” long on your print. 2. Spread a thin layer of Elmer’s glue on one side of the board and apply the pattern. 3. Cut the 2 pieces with the saw staying just on the outside of the green and red lines. 4. Check the fit of the interlocking pieces and use a wood file as needed for a smooth sliding fit. 5. Drill the hole half way through the red piece before gluing the pieces together. 6. Drill slowly making sure the angle matches the line on the pattern. 7. If the hole is centered and looks aligned properly glue the pieces together with Gorilla Glue and finish drilling the hole. 8. Insert the tube and cut it a little long so it sticks out for now. 9. Check the buoyancy before painting. It should sit less then half way submerged before painting. 10. Thread your line thru the tube and use a piece of the tooth pick as wedge to hold it in place on the line after setting the depth you want to fish. They can also be slip rigged using split shot. 11. Test it and using an 1/8 oz jig or 1/8 oz split shot with hook and bait to see if flips direction when given just a little tug! 12. A 1/4” board is good for a 2” long BulletBobber and 1/2" thick board can make a 4” long BulletBobber and 4” long one can handle 1/4 to 3/8 oz lead and many lures. We struggled heavily to make the BulletBobber the best it could be at a reasonable price but could never prototype and test every possible design in every condition. There are many other shapes that may work better and we hope you can create an improved design. I have found there are two basic requirements. They should be twice as long as they are wide and sit about 60% out of the water. If you use balsawood you will need to add weight by drilling a hole and inserting a nail or small split shot and the best place to add weight is to drill the hole in front of the hole where your the line comes out. Or you can paint it to add weight and strength. Happy Holidays to all, Paul & Kathy Lieb BulletBobber Enterprises 3586 Wadsworth Rd. Norton, OH 44203 USA